[Personal] I'm bowing out.

Beauty Tips For Body Care
Throwaway to keep this separate from my main content.​I first joined SCA when I was in a bit of a mental rut and the only thing keeping me sane was my skincare routine at the start and end of each day. At first, I was enchanted. I could fangirl/fanboy over people’s shelfies, give and take advice, and revel in the encouragement we gave one another. But lately, I’ve been concerned and disillusioned with the amount of disrespect towards new users as well as the general apathy shown towards potentially meaningful and educational content.​Remember that post where a tumbleweed was a metaphor for good, honest questions going unanswered? That really is this sub now. We don’t need the same meme reposted over and over again hitting the top every week. Too many actual good questions go unanswered, and that daily help thread is practically radio silence. We have newbies come in and ask a question, only to be immediately told “dId yOu ChEcK tHe SiDeBaR?”—such people forgetting that the newbies may genuinely be overwhelmed by the wall of information that is the sidebar and need an actual human to tell them “hey, it’s okay, here’s what you can do to start.” And god forbid if you don’t become part of the Cerave/Ordinary/budget babe clique: “Facials are a waste of time especially when you are getting your skin evaluated by a trained professional who has the tools and resources to try and better your skin, but here’s a shelfie of $75 worth of products from the Ordinary that I have no clue how to use but seem cool lol”. Guys. Just. Stop. It’s our skin, our life. Your routine consists of warm water and Cerave in the tub? Great. Your skin’s improved with a cocktail of Buffet, NMFs, vampire-esque peeling solutions, niacinamide, and argireline? Fantastic. But that does not give you the right to bash the routines of people who are making an honest effort. You do not know them or their skin. If using Creme de la Mer and going for monthly facials works, so be it, and let them be. Maybe something is really gonna cause more harm than good. But be constructive in your criticism! Put yourself in their shoes and remember where and why you started.​Lastly, there really seems to be a disconcerting amount of toxicity towards posters who talk about how their partners/significant others have gotten into or are influenced by skincare. People jump to conclusions like “oh you’re being controlling and indoctrinating”, “gross”, “ridiculous”, “this sub is going downhill” etc., not realizing that disparaging comments are exactly what makes this sub anything less than a welcoming space for all. Maybe that person is grateful for someone that understands and is accepting of our pursuits, or they recognize the health benefits that can come from things like sun protection and mitigating compromised skin and want to impart them on the people we care about. Is that really a crime? Rule number one is literally “be nice” and “If a post is something you disagree with, you can just walk away”. Remember there is a person behind every post. You don’t know what they’re going through. These little victories may be deeply special and personal to them, and you do not have the right to rain on their parade just because you don’t get to march in it.​So, yep. I’m out. Goodbye, Skincare Addiction. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s time for me to regain control of an aspect of my life I realized has been relinquished to a community I hoped would be more tolerant of our individuality. To those who've dedicated countless hours educating and encouraging the thousands of users on here, thank you. You are the reason I initially fell in love with this sub, and I am grateful for the wealth of knowledge and understanding I have gained. To everyone else, remember that your beauty and worth is more than your skin, an online forum, or the words of internet strangers.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by DifficultDust1